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John McCain, war hero and giant of the Senate, dies at 81

John McCain, a giant of the Senate who survived years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam to become a leading actor on the political stage for decades, died Saturday at the age of 81.

In a statement, McCain’s office wrote that the Arizona senator died at 4:28 p.m., where he was accompanied by his wife, Cindy, and their family.

“At his death, he had served the United States of America faithfully for sixty years,” McCain’s office wrote.

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The news prompted an outpouring of tribute and sympathy from Republicans and Democrats alike, a testament to the respect McCain built among colleagues in both parties despite his habit of calling them out during clashes over politics and policy.

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For six terms in the Senate, McCain was full of surprises.

The senator challenged George W. Bush for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, burnishing his reputation as a friend of reporters on a campaign bus nicknamed the “Straight Talk Express.”

McCain lost the nomination, but discovered his political brand: party maverick.

He voted against the Bush tax cuts and backed campaign finance legislation opposed by many in his party.

He backed Bush on the Iraq War, and supported the “surge” of 20,000 U.S. troops in 2007 that brought some stability to the country.

As 2007 opened, McCain was the frontrunner for the GOP nomination to succeed Bush, but his campaign faltered and was all but finished by the summer. Remarkably, he made a comeback by the end of the year and won primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina, eventually riding a strong showing on Super Tuesday to the GOP nomination.

In the campaign against Obama, McCain made the surprise choice of then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) as his running mate, a move that initially energized Republicans but eventually appeared to hurt the ticket. Years later, some would point to that moment as an opening for the later Trump era.

With or without Palin, McCain faced a daunting task in defeating Obama — given the Iraq War and Bush’s unpopularity — and he lost the election in a landslide.

That returned McCain to the Senate, where for the next nine years he continued a career that would leave him as a legend of the chamber.

If he lost some of his maverick image in the partisan battles with Obama, he won back that identity again this year as he became one of Trump’s most forceful critics among Republicans on Capitol Hill.

McCain gave voice to concerns that many of his GOP colleagues held privately but often kept to themselves to avoid open battle with the president and his passionate base of supporters. Usually a loyal Republican, he was not afraid to go his own way when he thought principle demanded it.

When he did stray from the reservation, colleagues didn’t dare to criticize him publicly.

I haven’t figured out what to say about @SenJohnMcCain, but I know I can say he loved his country more than he loved himself and that he sacrificed more than the vast majority of us — for the right reasons. R.I.P.

Nothing dramatic in this photo – but I think it captures McCain’s relationship with reporters. He was skipping the 2016 RNC where Trump would be nominated. I tracked him down in Arizona. The look on his face tells me he’s saying something sarcastic – and funny. @nprpoliticspic.twitter.com/775GDzaynm

God bless you @SenJohnMcCain — you are a big reason why it has been a joy to cover the United States Senate. I will never forget the twinkle in your eye as you crankily responded “What do you want?” to our questions — but always graciously answered them. RIP to an American hero.

Former president George W. Bush: "Some lives are so vivid, it is difficult to imagine them ended. Some voices are so vibrant, it is hard to think of them stilled. John McCain was a man of deep conviction and a patriot of the highest order." https://t.co/bbKr4uSyCMpic.twitter.com/oGNQK02wZG

John McCain believed that every citizen has a responsibility to make something of the freedoms given by our Constitution, and from his heroic service in the Navy to his 35 years in Congress, he lived by his creed every day. https://t.co/946T7PnG53

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis: “We have lost a man who steadfastly represented the best ideals of our country. As a Naval Officer and defiant prisoner of war, John McCain stood with his brothers-in-arms until they returned home together…”

Tonight we say goodbye to a true hero. A man who never sought accolades. A patriot who fought everyday for American freedom and dignity. A warrior of strength, a patriot of heart, and a man of conviction. There will never be another John McCain. May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/B3FjQnDToH